Finding the Words
by The Last
Summary: Opportunity knocks once. Destiny hits twice. Life changes in the space of 100 words.
1. Aftermath

A collection of 100 word shots.

-Aftermath-

Kagome knelt in the bloodied grass, empty eyes resting on Inuyasha's broken form. He was dead, had died holding Naraku when she released her power to kill the bastard half-demon. The hanyou had known what it would do to him, but told her to anyway. And she had. Shivering, Kagome threw her head back and laughed, hysteria edging her voice.

"Is this what you wanted, Kikyo? Is this what you wanted!" Quieting suddenly, she bent over the Shikon no Tama clutched in bloody hands, a single tear sliding down.

"Damned if I'm going to let him go alone…"


	2. Second Chance

-Second Chance-

Kagome winced, the wind slicing chilled skin.

Drawing her knees closer, she turned into the icy blast as it slid around her tree.

Blinking the tears away, her thoughts were drawn once more to the well, wishing an impossible dream.

Wishing for one last chance she let slip away when she returned…

"Kagome…"

She froze, soul aching at the voice, feeling a long empty heart clench in the agony of hope.

Slowly the woman turned, trembling, to face the figure perched on the branch near her.

Breath catching in her throat, she stretched a shaking hand out to touch his.


	3. Words

-Words-

"Stop putting words in my mouth, Inuyasha!"

Kikyo stopped, looking at the pair in the hallway.

"Kagome, what the hell are you doing with Inuyasha?" Kagome snarled angrily until Inuyasha stepped in coolly.

"Shut up, bitch, and mind your own business, because she's about to say yes to my question."

"And just what is your question?"

"If she'd go out with me, wench." Speechless, Kikyo turned and stalkeddown the hall. Inuyasha glanced at Kagome nervously.

"Yes."

"Wha?"

"Yes." He blinked, then leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?"

"DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH!"


	4. Scorned Woman

-Scorned Woman-

Inuyasha, Lord of the Western lands, picked up his sword and started out the door with a tired messenger. The clattering of feet on stairs stopped him.

Kagome paused, seeing Inuyasha going.

"Can I come? There's not much to do here today," she explained.

"Feh. This is for fighters, Kagome." The servants flinched, knowing what was coming. Ten years and he thought her soft.

"OSWARI!" Ignoring the puff of dust, Kagome walked down, bow and arrows appearing . The servants unfroze, laughing quietly.

Inuyasha, Lord of the Western Lands, lay on the stone floor as Kagome walked out, dragging the messenger.


	5. Ocean Sounds

-Ocean Sounds-

She walked along the beach, the wet sand squeezing up between her toes, and smiled sadly.

His reaction to the expanse of blue water had been hilarious; as if he hadn't quite known what to make of it as the sun set in the horizion. And then he had quieted her laughterby kissing her.

She stopped and lifted a conch shell from the sand, holding it to her ear; listening for the sound of the ocean.

"_I love you… I love you… I love you…"_

The ocean of tears she'd cried since he'd been gone…


	6. Hurt

-Hurt-

She clenched her hands, the strands of grass tearing under them as her eyes stung. It wasn't supposed to hurt. They had been thrown together by Fate; there was no real love, only the semblance of it, which had fooled her so completely...

It wasn't supposed to hurt! Angry at the heart that had believed that he might love her, she shut her eyes against the image of him walking away.

It wasn't supposed to hurt… The teardrops fell as she gasped for breath. Why did it hurt? Why did it have to hurt so badly?

It… wasn't… supposed to...


	7. Anatomy

-Anatomy-

The students picked up their books and jostled each other on the way out of Biology, Inuyasha and Miroku stepping in besides Kagome and Sango. As 'The Wandering Hand' started its journey in the chatter, Sango threatened him with a finger.

"No way. And besides, I know_ exactly _where to hit you now." Miroku flinched away in mock-horror.

"Curse Anatomy!" Kagome and Inuyasha laughed. She hesitantly slipped her hand into his and they blushed slightly.

The professor watched them walk out of the classroom, a slight smile on his face.

"It's always so easy, until you get to the heart…"


	8. Losing You

-Losing You-

He hadn't known a person could lose this much blood.

Bent over her limp body, he cradled her head in his lap, silent tears running from closed eyes.

"Sango…"

Her glazing, unfocused gaze seemed to rest for a moment on his features, the fading light growing smaller as the pool of blood around them grew larger.

"Mir…oku?" She sighed softly, eyes starting to close. "Father? Mo…ther? Kohaku…" And she opened her arms, welcoming her family as her spirit joined them.

He hadn't known a person could lose this much blood. He hadn't known you could lose your heart.


	9. Sorry

-Sorry-

Desperate to get away, to stop his heart from remembering the woman who had just broken it, he gunned the motorcycle down the drenched road.

_The glare of headlights._

_Seeing_ her _terrified face behind the rain covered windshield._

_Realizing he was about to die._

_Flying through the air-_

_Hitting the guardrail with a sickening crunch._

She dragged her broken body across the wet road, tears pouring from her undamaged eye.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so… sorry…" Her hand stretched out, inches away from his body… trembled… and then fell to the ground.

I'm sorry… 


	10. Dream

-Dream-

Through a dream, I think I see you.

You're just barely out of reach, just beyond my fingertips.

You smile.

I'm surprised.

After all, you haven't since…

And the dream stops.

Just stutters to a halt.

Everything, the fog that wraps around you, the hidden ground beneath my feet-

you-

starts to slip away.

I feel that I should reach out, try to capture you in my fingertips, but that would be futile.

I know, because I know that you smiled.

You haven't smiled for anyone since she left.

You never smiled for me.


	11. The List

-The List-

Things To Do Today:

1. Collect more Shards

2. Kill the half-bastard demon.

3. Tell Kikyo to go to Hell and stay there.

4. Accidentally say 'sit' a few times when Inuyasha's around.

5. Say 'Sit!' a few more times to protect myself.

6. Lead Koga on for a little, then crush his dreams.

7. Laugh as he and Inuyasha argue over me.

8. Burn a few things.

9. Go back to my own time.

10. NAIL UP WELL.


	12. Simple

-Simple-

The teen sighed, running a hand through black hair as he growled.

"I just don't get it." She looked up at his whine and smiled, moving to lean over his shoulder. Her pencil scribbled equations as he frowned.

"It's simple. See, you use the result of #1 and plug it in…"

She leaned against his shoulder, and slowly, tired, let go of his shirt.

"Why does it hurt so much? I don't understand it." He watched her, seeing the broken heart (damn the jerk that shattered it), and tilted her head up.

"It's simple…"

The kiss surprised them both.


End file.
